Oxalis plant named ‘Jroxfroja’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Oxalis  plant named ‘Jroxfroja’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; numerous basal leaves; dense and bushy plant form; freely flowering habit; dark green-colored foliage; and white-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Oxalis regnellii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Jroxfroja’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Oxalis plant, botanically known as Oxalis regnellii, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Jroxfroja’.

The new Oxalis is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Szombathely, Hungary. The objective of the program is to create new Oxalis cultivars with attractive foliage and flower colors.

The new Oxalis originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in 1993 of two unnamed selections of Oxalis regnellii, not patented. The new Oxalis was discovered and selected from the resultant progeny of the stated cross-pollination by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Szombathely, Hungary in 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Szombathely, Hungary since the summer of 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Oxalis are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Jroxfroja have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Jroxfroja’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Jroxfroja’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Oxalis:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant         habit.     -   2. Numerous basal leaves; dense and bushy plant form.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   5. White-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Oxalis differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Oxalis have brighter green-colored foliage         than plants of the parent selections.     -   2. Plants of the new Oxalis are more freely flowering than         plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Oxalis can be compared to plants of the cultivar Deep Purple, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Southern California, plants of the new Oxalis differed from plants of the cultivar Deep Purple primarily in leaf color as plants of the cultivar Deep Purple had red purple-colored leaves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Oxalis.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers and leaves of ‘Jroxfroja’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Jroxfroja’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants grown in one gallon were used for the aforementioned photographs and following description. Plants were about 14 weeks from planting rooted cuttings. Plants were grown under conditions which closely approximate commercial production conditions during the spring in Bonsall, Calif. in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse. During the production period, day temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 35° C. and night temperatures ranged from 13° C. to 21° C.

-   Botanical classification: Oxalis regnellii cultivar Jroxfroja. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Oxalis             regnellii, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Oxalis             regnellii, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—By divisions.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 20 days at 20°             C.         -   Root description.—Fine, freely-branching; whitish in color.         -   Rhizome description.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About             1.5 cm. Scale length: About 7 mm. Scale width: About 9 mm.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous; scaly. Color: Close to 155A             overlain with 29A. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Herbaceous perennial flowering plant; upright,             outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit.         -   Plant height.—About 28 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 43 cm.         -   Growth rate.—Moderate to rapid growth rate; vigorous.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Arising from rhizomes,             basal; clover like, palmate three-foliate; about twelve             leaves per rhizome. Leaf length: About 5.4 cm. Leaf width:             About 5.4 cm. Leaflet length: About 3.1 cm. Leaflet width:             About 5.4 cm. Leaflet shape: Broadly obtriangular. Leaflet             apex: Emarginate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation             pattern: Pinnate; reticulate. Color: Developing foliage,             upper and lower surfaces: 144A. Fully expanded foliage,             upper surface: More gray than 137B. Fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: 147B. Venation, upper and lower surfaces:             147B. Petiole: Length: About 21.8 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 145B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Rotate single flowers single, scapose             and arranged in umbels. Flowers facing upright or outwardly             and positioned just above the foliage. Flowers not             persistent. Freely flowering habit, about eight to nine             flowers per umbel. Flowers not fragrant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Year-round in Southern California;             flowering continuous during this period.         -   Time to flower.—Early flowering; plants begin flowering             about four weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About five days.         -   Inflorescence length.—About 6 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 4 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 2.7 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 1.6 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Elongated oblong. Color: 157B.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five             petals, fused into flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:             About 2.8 cm. Petal width: About 8 mm. Petal shape: Obovate.             Petal apex: Rounded. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color:             Petal, when opening, upper surface: 155B. Petal, when             opening, lower surface: 155A. Petal, opened flower, upper             surface: 155D; towards the base, 144C. Petal, opened flower,             lower surface: 155A.         -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals,             fused at base into a slender tube. Length: About 6 mm.             Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, upper and lower surfaces: 144B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 26.2 cm. Width: About 2 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Angle: Mostly erect. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3 cm to 4 cm. Width: About 1 mm.             Strength: Moderately strong. Angle: About 30° to 45° from             vertical. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: About ten in two             whorls. Anther shape: Oval. Anther length: Less than 1 mm.             Anther color: 12C. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 12A.             Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About             6 mm. Stigma shape: Round. Stigma color: 146B. Style length:             About 4 mm. Style color: 146C. Ovary color: 144C.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Oxalis have not been     noted to be resistant to other pathogens and pests common to Oxalis. -   Weather/temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Oxalis are tolerant     to rain and wind and have been observed to tolerate temperatures     from −2° C. to 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Oxalis plant named ‘Jroxfroja’, as illustrated and described. 